Bridle-bit



NITED STATES PATE T Fries.

ALBERT M. PENDLETON, OF SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH.

BRlDLE-BIT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 567,950, dated September 15, 1896. Application filed August 30, 1896. Serial No. 561,030. (No model.)

$0 aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT M. PENDLETON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Salt Lake City, in the county of Salt Lake, Territory of Utah, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bit Members for Bridles, of which the following is a descrip tion, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon. I

My invention relates to bit members for bridles, my object being to provide abit which will not when in use bear uncomfortably upon the horses tongue, while a further object is provide a bit member which can be adapted to various purposes, such as causing the horse to hold his head in an erect position, checking a horse that is hard to hold, 650. 5 and to these ends the invention consists in the various matters hereinafter described and claimed.

The accompanying drawings illustrate this invention, and in which- Figure 1 is a perspective of my improved bit member. Fig. 2 shows the member as ordinarily applied to a horse. Fig. 3 shows the present bit member adapted to a horse that is difficult to hold. Fig. 4 shows my device used as an ordinary driving-bit. Fig. 5 shows a portion of the member removed, while the remainder is used as an overdraw for holding the horses head erect. Fig. 6 shows a punishment-lever attached to my bit member, and Figs. 7 and 8 are detail views. Y

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, A represents the sides of the bit member, which are preferably formed with the main portion a, (see particularly Fig. 5) and the diverging portions a a said diverging portions being provided with rings a a respectively, the former set of rings being for the attachment of an overdraw A',fastened upon the water-hook or other suitable part ofthe harness, and the latter set of rings being for the attachment of a suitable nosestrap A In an opening a in each of the sides (see particularly Figs. 5 and 7 is seated a bit B, having near its ends and adjacent to the sides A circular guards b for preventing the sides of the bridle from pressing against the'nose of the'horse, and these guards have preferably openings 1) for the attachment of ithe bit end.' 1 mental bit D, preferably, as indicated in Fig.

, driving-reins 0.

' preventing the lever C from crowding against the side A, thus avoiding friction and hard working. A suitable nut 19 onother removable securing member holds the lever 0 upon These levers C carry a supple- S, of a length greater than the distance between the sides A, so that the forward ends of the levers will not force against the sides A, and, in furtherance of this object, shoulders d are provided upon the bit D, outside of which shoulders the levers are secured by any suitable means, as the nut 01. The forward end of each lever is provided with a slightly outwardly curving projection c for the purpose of enabling the lever to work smoothly along the flesh of the horse, while upon therear of each lever is a lug c, carrying a ring 0 for the attachment of the usual in the levers for the seating of the bit B and other openings 0 for the bit D. The openin gs c are merely to permit adjustment of the of the most common uses to which the pres ent device is adapted.

Fig. 2 illustrates the manner in which my bit is most frequently applied. As shown in this figure and also in Fig. 8, the curb-strap passes through both the .slots a in the sides and the slots 0 in the levers. The curb thus prevents the supplemental bit from bearing In the forward Openings 0 are provided trol.

uncomfortably against the roof of the horses month, while at the same time, when the reins are drawn taut, the Curbstrap causes the bit B to be raised from the tongue instead of the pull upon the reins, causing the driving-bit B to force the tongue down and back into the mouth. This objectionable pressure of the bit being removed the horse will not slobber, attempt to get his tongue over the bit, stick his tongue out at the side of his mouth, the.

In Fig. 3 the present device is illustrated as applied to a horse that pulls or lugs at his bit, or that is hard to hold. In this adaptation the curb is attached to the sides, but not to the levers, so that when the lines are drawn, either by the driver or by reason of the lugging of the horse, the bit D is forced against the roof of the animals month, which, of course, forces the horse to open his mouth. This, however, will cause the nose-strap and curb to bear upon the nose and chin, the result being that the lugging of the horse is stopped and he is brou ht under control. The supplemental bit D prevents the forward ends of the levers from falling when the lines 0 are not taut.

The present bit member can also be used as an ordinary driving-bit, as shown in Fig. 4. Here the sides A are removed and the straps from the brow of the bridle are fastened in the openings Z) in the guards b.

Fig. 5 shows my device applied as a check or overdraw. Toaecomplish this, the levers are removed and the bit B preferably substituted for the lever B, between the sides A, theopenings a being provided for this purpose. The overdraw thus formed can be applied as is usual with such devices.

In Fig. 6 I have shown applied to my bit member a part which is used when the bit is employed upon horses quite difficult to con- This part E comprises a shank e, preferably arched, as at c, to fit over the bit B, said lever having its ends formed into partially spherical members 6 and 6 the member c curving downwardly and the member 6 curving upwardly. The part E is removably secured upon the bit B by any suitable means, as by the set-screw c and the forward part of the shank e rests upon the bit D. Thus the lever E is fulcrumed at the bit B, and when the reins are drawn taut and the bit D is raised the partially spherical member 6 will be forced against the roof of the horses month, while the other partially spherical member, a will be forced upon the tongue. In order to hold the lever E in its proper position upon the bit D a staple is formed upon the shank c, through which the bit D is inserted.

From the foregoing it will be seen that by arranging a few parts in the manner described I have produced a bit member which can be applied to various uses.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure b'yTiettei-s Patent, is

1. A bit member for bridles comprising sides, a bit carried by said sides, a curb upon said sides in front of the bit, a nose-strap upon said sides in rear of the bit, and means upon said sides for the attachment of lines; substantially as described.

2. A bit member for bridles comprising sides, a bit carried by said sides, means upon said sides in front of the bit for securing the sides to the under jaw, a nose-strap upon said sides in rear of the bit, and means upon said sides for the attachment of lines; substan- 8o tially as described.

3. A bit member for bridles comprising sides, a bit carried thereby, a nose-strap carried by said sides, a curb also carried by said sides, means for preventing the forward ends of said sides from falling, levers pivoted upon said sides, a supplemental hit upon said 1evers at a point other than the pivot-point, and means upon said levers for the attachment of lines; substantially as described.

4:- A bit member for bridles comprising sides, a bit carried thereby, a nose-strap carried by said sides, a curb also carried by said sides, means for preventing the forward ends of said sides from falling, levers pivoted upon said sides, a supplemental hit upon said levers at a point other than the pivot-point, means for securing the sides and levers against movement relative to each other, and means upon said levers for the attachment of I00 lines; substantially as described.

5. A bit member for bridles comprising sides, a bit seated in said sides, means for attaching a curb to the forward ends of said sides, means for attaching a nose-strap to said sides, levers pivoted upon said sides, a supplemental bit upon said levers, means for preventing the forward ends of the sides from falling, means upon said levers for attaching the curb thereto, and means upon the levers no in rear of the bit for the attachment of lin-es substantially as described.

6. A bit member for bridles comprising sides, a bit seated in said sides, means for attaching a curb to said sides, means for at- II 5 taching an overdraw to said sides, levers removably pivoted to said sides, and means for preventing the forward ends of said levers from falling, said levers having provision for the attachment of a curb and lines; substan- 12o tially as described.

'7. A bit member for bridles comprising sides, a removable bit seated in said sides, means for attaching a curb to said sides,mea11s for attachingan overdraw to said sides, levers 1 2 5 removably pivoted to said sides, and means for preventing the forward ends of said levers from falling, said levers having provision for the attachment of a curb and lines; substantially as described.

8. A bit member for bridles comprising sides, a bit seated in said sides, said bit having provision for the attachment of lines, means for attaching a curb to said sides, means for attaching an overdraw to said sides, levers removably pivoted to said sides, and means for preventing the forward ends of said levers from falling, said levers having provision for the attachment of a curb and lines; substantially as described.

9. A bit member for bridles comprising a bit, sides upon said bit, levers upon said bit, means for attaching a curb to the forward part of the bit member, means for attaching lines upon said levers, and a supplemental bit between said levers, said bit being of a length greater than the distance from the outside of one of the sides to the outside of the other side; substantially as described.

10. A bit member for bridles comprising a bit, means for holding said bit in position upon the animal, levers pivoted to said bit, a bar or bit between the forward end of said levers, means for the attachment of lines at the other ends of said levers, and a punishment-lever secured upon the bit and resting upon the bar; substantially as described.

11. A bit member for bridles comprising a bit, means for holding said bit in position upon the animal, levers pivoted to said bit, a bar or bit between the forward end of said levers, means for the attachment of lines at the other end of said levers, a punishmentlever secured upon the bit and resting upon the bar, and partially spherical members upon each end of the punishment-lever, the forward spherical member having its curved side uppermost, and the rear spherical member having its curved side lowermost; substantially as described.

12- A bit member for bridles comprising a bit, means for holding said bit in position upon the animal, levers pivoted to said bit, a bar ,or bit between the forward end of said levers, means for the attachment of lines at the other end of said levers, a punishmentlever secured upon the bit and resting upon the bar and a staple upon the punishmentlever at the point at which it rests upon the bar; substantially as described.

13. A punishment-lever for use upon bit members for bridles, said lever comprisinga shank 6 having an arch therein adapted to fit over the bit of the bridle, means for securing said lever upon the bit, the forward end of the lever extending into a partially spherically shaped member having its curved side uppermost,'and the rear portion of said bit extending into a similar member having its curved side lowermost, and a staple depending from said shank; substantially as described.

14. A check-bridle comprising sides having body portions asct, means for attachment to the mouth of the animal carried by said body portions, members as a, a diverging from said body portions, means upon the members a for the attachment of an overdraw, and means upon the members a for the attachment of a nose-strap substantially as described. 7

In testimony whereof I affiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALBERT M. PENDLETON.

WVitnesses:

WILLIAM SCHONERT, AUGUSTUS P. SMITH. 

